Page 2 - How to Break Without Braking

Planet column: Skate Coach

Gimme a break!

Or How to Brake Without Breaking

(Part 1 of a 3-part series on mastering the heel stop)

(Page 2 of 2)

Kathy demonstrates the scissor position Think of the knee of the braking leg as being a hinge. From this hinge, the lower leg slides forward until the skate with the brake on it is one skate length ahead of the other skate. In other words, if this was a horserace, you want the front foot to win by a length, not just by a nose.

If you truly only moved your lower leg, your weight should still be over the ball of the non-braking foot and your elevator should still be pretty much upright. Oh, and by the way, no showoffs popping wheelies yet. Keep all the wheels on the ground for now.

Now go hit the pavement ... I mean, go try it rolling.

The Brake

Kathy demonstrates the braking position This is where the rubber meets the road. The moment of truth! The BIG KAHUNA!!! ... Sorry, I get kinda carried away, sometimes. Where was I? Oh yes, standing in the grass, do your (elevator) Bend and then your Scissor (win by a length.) Next, simply flex your braking foot so the toe comes up and the heel brake touches the ground. The back wheel is also still in contact with the ground, in case you were wondering.

Bounce up and down in your stance a little while throwing some of your weight forward onto the brake. Try to put a little dent in the ground there. (Make sure the groundskeeper’s not watching this!) This is where you get your stopping power.

Find a level spot on the pavement where you can stand without rolling and repeat this little bouncing exercise in place to get used to the brake’s grippiness. (Is that a word?)

When you’re ready to try it rolling, do it at a slow speed first. Also, remember to concentrate on doing a good elevator/balls-of-feet Bend, followed by a win-by-a-length Scissor before you lift the toe. If the first two steps are done right, lifting the toe will cause a small amount of friction between the brake and the pavement and slow you to a stop, gradually.

If something wasn’t done quite right, various things will go wrong, which we’ll diagnose and fix in Part 2: Rx for “Help! I still can’t stop!”

If you’re getting the slow, gradual stop consistently and want to move up to a screeching, smokin’ "burn rubber baby!" heel stop, see Part 3: Building power in the heel stop.

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Kathy McSparran is the director of Phoenix Inline, an Arizona skate school. She holds five IISA teaching certifications: Level 1 (Beginners & Advanced Beginners), Level 2 (Intermediates & Advanced Intermediates), BladeFitnessTM, Freestyle Dance and Fitness Inline Trainer.

You can search for instructors by state at USA Inline Fit or United Skate Schools Group.

(Posted on Nov. 8, 2005)

Want to perfect your heel stop? ... Read all three parts of Kathy's series:

Part 1: How to brake without breaking

Part 2: "Help! ... I still can't stop!"

Part 3: Putting power into your heel stop

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